Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has had discussions with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs regarding the extent to which local authorities are obliged to take into consideration in their allocations policies a number of factors (details supplied). [3119/17]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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231. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has had any discussions with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs regarding whether an applicant for social housing is entitled to be considered an adult plus children, for the purposes of allocation, in the circumstances in which the children stay with the parent several days a week. [3120/17]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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232. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on the fact that many parents in circumstances in which they are separated from their former partner, find it difficult to accommodate their children for the number of days that they have access to them, due to being considered a single applicant for the purposes of social housing and consequently, are only entitled to enough rent supplement or HAP to house themselves; his further views on whether this makes contact with that parent difficult for the child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3121/17]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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260. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the extent to which local authorities are obliged to take into consideration in their allocations policies a number of factors (details supplied). [3106/17]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if a person is entitled to be considered as an adult plus children for the purposes of allocation of social housing in circumstances in which the children stay with the parent several days a week. [3107/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 to 232, inclusive, and 260 and 261 together.

The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households. Under the 2009 Act, a household is defined as a person living alone, or two or more persons, who in the opinion of the local authority concerned, have a reasonable requirement to live together.

As such, it is a matter for each housing authority to decide on the type of support to be allocated to individual households. As Minister, I am precluded by the 2009 Act from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by housing authorities in the allocation of particular dwellings.

I have not had discussions with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in relation to the allocation of accommodation to households of the type referred to.